Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!caip!topaz!christian From: stever@videovax.UUCP (Steven E. Rice, P.E.) Newsgroups: mod.religion.christian Subject: Re: The significance of the resurrection Message-ID: <6207@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU> Date: Tue, 14-Oct-86 02:21:40 EDT Article-I.D.: topaz.6207 Posted: Tue Oct 14 02:21:40 1986 Date-Received: Tue, 14-Oct-86 07:20:35 EDT Sender: hedrick@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU Organization: Tektronix, Comm Group, TV Division R&D. Lines: 119 Approved: christian@topaz.UUCP In article <6129@topaz.RUTGERS.EDU>, Ken Swanson (gks@vax135.UUCP) gives an answer to questions asked by Dave Hatcher: > From Dave Hatcher: > >> I am wondering what significance (spiritualy speaking) the resurrection >> has on our salvation. >> >> What is the resurrection saying compared to the crucifixion, in response >> to our salvation. > > In regard to salvation, the crucifixion and the resurrection, I believe > Scripture says the following: > > Because of the crucifixion (Jesus taking on our sins and imputing > His righteousness to us - we are worthy in the eyes of God) we > can, as Paul says, "work out our salvation with fear and trembling." > The resurrection is essential in that it signifies the victory of > Jesus over Satan (Satan is bound, but not destroyed.) That same > power of the Holy Spirit which enabled Jesus to rise from the dead > has been given to us so that we may "work out our salvation" and > bring down the strongholds of Satan. What Ken says may be true, but it misses the central points that Scripture makes about the Crucifixion and the Resurrection. The significance of the Crucifixion is that Christ suffered and died vicariously for our sins ("vicariously" means "performed or suffered by one person as a substitute for another or to the benefit or advantage of another" -- Webster's New Collegiate Dictionary). Because He took our punishment (though He was absolutely holy, and deserved none at all), we have peace with God when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior: Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 (NIV) What the prophet Isaiah says is echoed by Paul: For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that ^^^^ Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. . . . I Corinthians 15:3-5 (NIV) The Resurrection shows that God approves of what Jesus did, and gave Him power ("authority") to rise again: I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me -- just as the Father knows me and I know the Father -- and I lay down my life for the sheep. . . . The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life -- only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ John 10:14-18, excerpted (NIV) Furthermore, the Resurrection is essential for our salvation: But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ your faith. . . . And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is ^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ futile; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied above all men. I Corinthians 15:12-19, excerpted (NIV) Without the Crucifixion, the Resurrection is, of course, impossible. On the other hand, the Crucifixion with no Resurrection would mean that Jesus was no different than the thousands of other men who died by crucifixion. If there is no Resurrection, there is no hope. But there was both a Crucifixion and a Resurrection! On the Cross, Jesus paid the penalty for our sins. This means that we can approach God boldly, not trembling in fear that He might blast us to a cinder, but confident that He will accept us because we have been bought by Christ's blood. The Resurrection is God's "seal of approval" -- because Christ was raised, we have absolute assurance of our own salvation. Steve Rice ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- {decvax | hplabs | ihnp4 | uw-beaver}!tektronix!videovax!stever [This is slightly longer than I would have preferred. I'm not refusing many articles this early in the game. But I think I would have preferred the Biblical citations to have contained just the key phrases. I hope Steve is not offended by being used as an example of what is, after all, a common practice. Indeed his citations are generally more carefully thought-out and relevant than some I have seen. But please recall that we're trying to keep the volume of the group down, so that we don't offend the folks that are paying the bills. --clh]